COLOMBO (IDN) – Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena was the Chief Guest at the ceremonial opening of the Buddha Shrine of the International Cambodian Buddhist Centre in Kaduwela near Colombo on March 9 marking a new chapter in reviving ancient Buddhist links with Cambodia.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN-INPS) – Not only did the summit in Hanoi between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un fail to produce meaningful results, but Trump and his team have clearly squandered the seven months since the Singapore summit to make progress on even modest steps toward that meeting's lofty goals.

SHANTINIKETAN, India (IDN) – With Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the new trend among development communicators, are universities in the developing world equipped to assist in achieving these goals, by educating young communicators in culturally appropriate approaches to development and sustainability?

This is a question that was addressed at a three-day conference held at the famous university founded by Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

MUMBAI (IDN) – There are reports that Indian Air force MIGS launched an attack on terrorist camps in Pakistan and dropped bombs demolishing the terror hubs and killing many. This has been the fallout of the dreaded terrorist attack in Pulwama in which 44 Central Police Force (CRPF) jawans (male police constables or soldiers) were killed when a car carrying explosives, probably RDX, drove into the convoy of trucks carrying 2400 CRPF jawans.

While Myanmar and Bangladesh trade blame over the crisis, the United Nations is concerned about persistent military and civil tensions in Myanmar ahead of general elections in 2020, which it fears is impacting efforts towards the "dignified" and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.

BODHGAYA (IDN) – In recent years the Indian government has been promoting the concept of a 'Buddhist Tourism Circuit' (BTC) with Bodhgaya – the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment under a Bo-Tree – as its centrepiece. Yet, with less than 1 percent of India's population Buddhist today, lack of Buddhist communities around the Buddhist sites hinders the promotional pitch. Bodhgaya is a good example.

The writer is a Visiting Senior Fellow with the South Asia Programme, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and the author of 'Smart Diplomacy: Exploring China-India Synergy' (2016). The author’s views are his own and do not represent the position of any institution. A version of this article originally appeared here on RSIS.

SINGAPORE (IDN-INPS) – Buoyed by four summit meetings and the formation of a new people-to-people mechanism in quick succession, China-India engagement appears to be on an upward trajectory. Though challenges remain, it is an opportune moment for the two countries to press ahead towards total rapprochement.

The writer is Emeritus Professor in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, The Australian National University. EastAsiaForum carried this article on 18 February 2019. A version of this analysis was first published in The Straits Times.

CANBERRA (IDN-INPS) – Sometimes what is left out of a major policy speech is as important as what is said. This was certainly true late January 2019 when Australia’s Defence Minister Christopher Pyne spoke about regional security in a keynote address to a prestigious audience in Singapore.

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Kim Jong-un, paramount leader of the North Korean dictatorship, arrived in Vietnam by train and limousine ready to meet President Donald Trump. The two leaders met in June 2018 in Singapore, applauded themselves and each other and made some sort of a deal even if it wasn’t the one Trump boasted about – the total elimination of the North’s nuclear weapons.

Nevertheless, the North has stopped nuclear testing. The U.S. only stopped in 1992 and France in 1996, so this is a very important step forward. It should not be minimized as the American “Blob” is doing. (The “Blob”, a creation of the White House of President Barack Obama, is the highly influential industrial/military/legislative/media complex, a majority of whom are hard line on foreign affairs.)

BANGKOK (IDN) – Buddhist scholars attending the 1st Makhapuja International Conference on ‘The Future of Buddhism in Asia’ have warned that consumerist trends within the monastic order and aggressive proselytism by Islamic and Christian groups are a threat to the future of Buddhism in Asia.

Governments in the region lack adequate political solutions to defy "anti-Buddhist movements”, and this poses a huge challenge, said Professor Kapila Abhayawansa, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at the International Buddhist College in Thailand.

UN Messenger of Peace @JaneGoodallInst introduces @IRIforests, a new global effort uniting people of all faiths to end tropical deforestation. Watch the video and share this important message: InterfaithRainforest.org/video #FaithsForForests.